March 19, 2012

March Madness 2012: Winning Isn’t Everything

Let me start off by stating that winning, whether it’s in business, sports or anywhere else, is usually the ONLY acceptable outcome of any competition. Having said that, your office’s March Madness pool is one of those rare, beautiful instances where winning should be an afterthought.

Since your company is, of course, playing strictly for bragging rights – here at Airfoil, the only thing on the line is everlasting fame and glory – the most important thing to do is brush up on your trash talking and embrace the friendly competition with your coworkers.

According to an MSN survey, 86 percent of the respondents confessed to following the tournament during work hours, specifically participating in one or more of three activities: reading, watching and checking stats online (57 percent); talking to co-workers about their brackets (52 percent); and checking scores on their mobile phones (43 percent).

But does that mean we have to banish the fun in favor of productivity? In the case of March Madness, your company may take one tiny step backwards during the three weeks of mayhem, but consider the benefits of taking part in something as “pointless” as a bracket pool: it’s called office morale, and fun is one of the essential components of a positive, creative and thriving workplace.

Enjoy the madness!

-- Dave Niemiec is an account coordinatorat Airfoil Public Relations, a high tech PR agencywith offices in Silicon Valley and Detroit.

Comments

March Madness 2012: Winning Isn’t Everything

Let me start off by stating that winning, whether it’s in business, sports or anywhere else, is usually the ONLY acceptable outcome of any competition. Having said that, your office’s March Madness pool is one of those rare, beautiful instances where winning should be an afterthought.

Since your company is, of course, playing strictly for bragging rights – here at Airfoil, the only thing on the line is everlasting fame and glory – the most important thing to do is brush up on your trash talking and embrace the friendly competition with your coworkers.

According to an MSN survey, 86 percent of the respondents confessed to following the tournament during work hours, specifically participating in one or more of three activities: reading, watching and checking stats online (57 percent); talking to co-workers about their brackets (52 percent); and checking scores on their mobile phones (43 percent).

But does that mean we have to banish the fun in favor of productivity? In the case of March Madness, your company may take one tiny step backwards during the three weeks of mayhem, but consider the benefits of taking part in something as “pointless” as a bracket pool: it’s called office morale, and fun is one of the essential components of a positive, creative and thriving workplace.

Enjoy the madness!

-- Dave Niemiec is an account coordinatorat Airfoil Public Relations, a high tech PR agencywith offices in Silicon Valley and Detroit.